A/N: Heavily influenced by Syfy's Alice miniseries. Still working out a little bit of the plot as I'm going along because not a lot of the problems in Alice are easily interchangeable with the SnK characters and its universe but hopefully I'll be able to find something.
Rated T because Levi can't watch his fucking language.
She nervously sipped on her coffee and let out a small yelp when the hot drink burned her tongue. Perhaps this was punishment for drinking caffeine so late at night but she couldn't help it. The only thing that could calm her nerves right this moment was a soothing cup of coffee. She blew on it impatiently and sipped it a little more cautiously, making a displeased face. It was still too hot.
"You okay, Pet?" her friend Erd asked, rubbing small circles in her back with one hand. "I don't see why you're so nervous about this. You've been dating him for a while and he's a nice guy from what you've told us."
She shrugged, cupping her hands around her mug. If she couldn't take comfort in her cup of coffee, she'd just make do with the warmth from the drink, damn it. "First meetings are always nerve-wracking. What if you guys don't like him?" Petra fiddled with an imaginary string on her sweater.
Gunter laughed and patted her head affectionately. "If you like him, then I'm sure he's good enough for any of us."
Petra smiled at him, dimples appearing in her cheeks. Her friends were, of course, right. There was no reason for them to dislike Erwin Smith. He was a genuinely upstanding guy who dressed nicely and drove a snazzy car. His hair was always on point (as well as his eyebrows) and he always opened doors for her, old ladies, and children. He was so perfect that Petra had half a mind to group him in with unicorns and other mythical beings that didn't exist. She was lucky he had even noticed her while she was working her shift at the teashop she worked at part time. She had been sneaking glances at him the minute she had seen him walk through the door (as did nearly every female staff member) and was elated when she had found he had scrawled his number on a napkin when she went to clean up his table. When she texted him that night, she found out he was charming and that he was even more charming in person when they went on their first date the following Friday. He always pulled her chair out for her and paid for her dinner. Erwin Smith was the apotheosis of perfection. Still…
"You've waited a long time to have him meet us," Auruo remarked observantly. "It's been, what, a little over six months. What gives?"
"I didn't want you guys to embarrass me in front of him," she retorted. That wasn't the entirely the truth though. Petra bit the inside of her cheek anxiously, thinking about all of the other tragic dates she had. Sure, they were in the past, but all of those guys had seemed pleasant enough in the beginning too.
"You know, just because all of the other guys left you doesn't mean he will," Erd said quietly.
"But if he does, I'll come to your rescue, Petra baby," Auruo said, flexing his arm.
She rolled her eyes. "I'll doubt I'd need any of your help but thanks," she snorted
"Yeah, she could probably snap my neck," a deep voice chuckled.
Petra looked up to see a tall blonde man and she felt her heart throb in that familiar way it did whenever she saw her boyfriend. Stop it, stupid, she told herself. You've been dating him for months. You should be used to this. She smiled brightly at him, tucking a lock of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.
"Hi, Erwin," she said, trying not to sound too ecstatic despite her erratic heartbeat. Who was she trying to kid? He could probably hear her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest from where he was standing.
"I hope I didn't keep you and your friends waiting too long," he said, sliding easily beside her in the booth. Erwin slipped his arm around her waist and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. She could feel her heart flutter at the touch of his lips on her skin.
She cleared her throat, trying to collect her thoughts so she could properly function. "It's fine," she assured him quickly. "They're very eager to meet you. This is Erd, Gunter, and Auruo. We've been friends since university." Petra gestured at all of her friends in turn and they all gave Erwin a head nod – the one universal man greeting that she would never understand.
"We're glad to finally meet you," Erd said, grinning widely.
"Yeah, Petra won't shut up about you," laughed Auruo.
She gave Auruo her most threatening death glare but he didn't even notice. Despite being her childhood friend, Auruo was the one who always got on her nerves the most. She shouldn't have been surprised that he was now ruining her image in front of her boyfriend.
"So how did you actually meet our Pet here because she insists that it was pretty much love at first sight but we all know her dating history…" Gunter flashed Petra an impish grin and she moved to kick his leg but missed, hitting Auruo instead, who gave her a wounded look while rubbing his shin. Tch, Auruo could be so dramatic. She didn't kick him that hard.
"Well…" chuckled Erwin good-naturedly.
He began to recant their first encounter and Petra couldn't help but notice how on edge he was. His hand, normally sitting firm on her waist, was slack and she nearly forgot it was there at all. His voice, usually strong and bold, was quieter now. Was he nervous about meeting her friends too? It didn't make any sense to her. He was always so charming and charismatic. Heck, even the waiters at the restaurants they went to knew him by name.
It was then that she began to notice his eyes flitting every once in the while to the window as if he were looking for something. When she turned her head to glance at the window she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. There was the usual blur of people in coats rushing to get home at this late hour, but nothing to feel like there was something unnatural going on. She squinted her eyes, straining to see anything at all that Erwin might have been looking for and was startled when a hand brushed the side of her face.
"What are you looking at, Pet?" Erwin asked her.
"I…" She grasped for something in her mind to say. He looked genuinely concerned. Maybe she was just imagining it before and he was only gazing out of the window like a normal person, not looking for anything at all. "Nothing," she mumbled quickly. "I guess I'm just a bit out of it today."
She was surprised at how quickly he stood up, as if he were eager to leave. "Perhaps we should take our leave now," he suggested, offering her a gallant hand. She might have been making things up again, but she could have sworn that he snuck another glance out of the window from the corner of his eye. "Shall I take you home, Petra?"
"That would be nice," she said. Looking at his hand, she faltered and pretended not to see it, instead raising a hand to fix her hair and hoping he wouldn't notice. He didn't seem to, hastily shoving his hand into his coat pocket and taking another look (so she wasn't imagining it!) out of the window. She flashed him a smile that she hoped seemed like her normal cheerful self. "Thank you, Erwin."
Her friends bid them goodbye, not seeming to notice anything off about the couple. The two didn't say anything as they stepped into Erwin's car and the ride to Petra's apartment was relatively quiet. Erwin would normally initiate the conversation but today he was strangely quiet. He glanced more frequently at the rearview mirrors than he typically would have any other night, she noticed. He was always a cautious driver but he had never been more alert than he was that night.
"Did you like meeting everyone?" Petra asked as they neared her abode. Her question sliced through the unsettling quiet and she still couldn't help but wish that she hadn't spoken at all. Her hands were folded anxiously together, thumbs twirling together nervously. "They all seem to like you, not that that's a surprise." She let out a nervous, shaky laugh. Don't be a dumbass, she scolded herself. Nothing's the matter. It's all in your head.
He looked over at her, eyebrows raised as if he was surprised that she had opened her mouth. "They're good people," he replied breezily, voice as smooth and velvety as melted chocolate. "I'm not surprised. You have excellent taste in people." He pulled up against the curb and leaned over to kiss her on the corner of her mouth.
She smiled at him, blushing a little. She probably was just imagining him being more distant this evening. Her damns could make her so dumb sometimes. "Hey, I'm sorry if I was acting a little weird tonight," she said, laughing a little at her own stupidity. "I guess I was just jittery about everything."
Erwin brushed the side of her face with the back of his hand affectionately. "Don't be sorry, you were fine." He fiddled with something in his coat pocket. "Anyway, I've been meaning to give this to you, Pet…" His right hand appeared in front of her face, a small jewelry box was opened in the palm of his hand to reveal a small silver ring with an impressive multi-faceted red gem in the middle.
She was completely speechless and she could feel her mind slowly go blank. Any girl would be ecstatic, probably jumping up and down by now. Petra only wanted to throw the damn thing as far as she could and run all the way back to her apartment. "Why?" she finally managed to say.
He seemed to sense her horror and quickly shut the box. He shrugged nonchalantly, as if the piece of jewelry was as insignificant as it was small. "I just thought it would look beautiful on your finger," he replied. His eyes met hers, blue to amber, in such a serious intense gaze that she had difficulty remembering to breathe. A large hand closed around her small one and she felt his thumb rub circles in the back of her hand. "You know, I care very much about you, Petra, but if you're not comfortable with this I can just return it."
"Yes, get rid of it," she breathed. She realized it sounded but she just wanted to be as far away from it as possible. Erwin was amazing. He was easily the most attentive, affectionate, and thoughtful boyfriend she had ever had, but the thought of anything that resembled a more committed relationship than what they had now frightened her beyond anything in her worst nightmares.
He sat back in his seat with a look of what seemed like disappointment on his face. "I see." The box disappeared into his pocket and she could breathe easier now. "I guess it's time for you to head back to your apartment now. You look like you could use a good rest. You seemed a little unsettled at the café tonight."
Petra only shrugged, leaving the car with her boyfriend following closely behind her. What was there to say? He'd probably leave her tomorrow anyway. What kind of girl would run from a committed relationship with Erwin Smith? Only an idiot like me, she thought bitterly. Nevertheless, she was surprised when she found Erwin holding the door to the complex for her.
"Thank you," she muttered politely, refusing to look at him. What would she see if she looked at him? Disgust, anger, disappointment, or maybe a mixture of the three? Whatever it was, she'd never be able to bare it.
"Petra." His hand found its way to the side of her face, tilting her head up so Erwin could look at her properly. "I'm not mad." He leaned down to kiss her and, surprisingly, she kissed him back as she felt his arms envelope her. Maybe it would work out this time.
When he finally pulled away he gave her another look but his face was unreadable. "Goodbye, Petra," he said, smiling at her.
"Bye," she said shyly, smoothing her hair down even though there probably wasn't anything wrong with it. She watched him as he walked out of the lobby and back into his car. She waited until she saw the black car drive away from her building before she let out a breath. Funny how she hadn't even realized she was holding a breath in.
She wasn't really sure why but she felt strangely empty. Surely she should have felt happy that Erwin wanted to give her such a beautiful ring but at the same time the sight of that red jewel made her feel so unbelievably queasy she could barely stand anymore. Petra grabbed onto the bar as soon as she reached the elevator, shoving her other hand in her pocket. When her hand hit something hard and rectangular in her pocket she frowned. She didn't remember having anything in her pocket before. She pulled out the mysterious object and let out an exasperated sigh when she found the box holding the ring Erwin had been ready to give her just moments before. That sneaky bastard probably slipped it into my pocket while we were kissing, she thought furiously. Still, her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but think that maybe he did want to stay with her.
Despite the fact that the earlier sight of the gem made her feel faint, Petra opened the box again. She took a quick intake of air when she saw the ring. It was brilliant, sparkling with every ray of light that hit any of its facets. Whoever made this ring knew exactly what he was doing. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why Erwin was so compelled to get her something so expensive even though they've only been dating for a little more than half a year.
A dark shadow covered the light and Petra looked up to find a tall man with a receding hairline and a grim expression. She couldn't recall him ever living in her building at all, much less ever being in the elevator with her when she had first come in. Then again, she had been pretty distracted this evening.
"May I help you?" she asked him, quickly shutting the box and hiding it back in her pocket. She tossed her head as if she didn't care very much to help him and hoped he didn't hear the slight quiver at the end of her question. Something about him was just kind of…off to her.
The man put on a polite smile but the grim look didn't disappear from his eyes and she resisted the urge to shiver. "You were looking at a very beautiful ring, my dear," he said to her quietly. He didn't back away from her and his looming height over her made her curse her short stature. "That young man, Erwin Smith, gave it to you?"
"How do you know his name?" she snapped. Fuck pleasantries, this guy was creeping her out. The fact that he referred to her as his "dear" hadn't helped either. Not only was he bigger than her, his gaunt face looked even more emaciated due to the dark circles under his eyes and the frown lines around the corners of his mouth. She pulled the box out of her pocket and hid it behind her back with both of her hands, trying to get it as far away from the man as possible. She couldn't possibly overpower him but maybe…
The man shrugged as if the information didn't matter. "We work together," he replied easily. He gestured toward the box behind her back. "Unfortunately that ring isn't his to give. It belongs to another girl. Heartbreaking, I know but…"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As if anyone would ever believe such an obviously made up tale. Instead she bit her lip and allowed tears to well up in her eyes, fiddling with the box behind her back. "Whom was it supposed to go to then?" She looked up at him through her eyelashes, a fake tear running down her cheek.
The man cleared his throat, probably uncomfortable because he was now in the presence of a crying woman. "Just another girl he had been seeing for quite a while now," the man replied, clearing his throat a bit.
Jeez, what a terrible liar. Petra shoved the box into his hands, her left hand in a tight fist still behind her. "Take it then," she said, hastily wiping her eyes with her right hand. "Take the stupid thing and give it back to Erwin."
The man let out a happy sigh. She was a little annoyed. The least he could do was pretend to be concerned that she was so distraught about her cheating boyfriend. "Would you like me to say anything to Erwin for you?" he asked her, tearing his eyes off of the box and shoving it into his pocket.
The elevator dinged, alerting Petra that she had reached her floor. "No," she spat bitterly, stepping out of the elevator. She didn't even bother looking back at the man as the elevator door closed, instead just walking slowly to her door. Once the doors closed, she sprinted as fast as she could to the stairs and rushed down. Thank god going downstairs was quicker and less painful than going up. Now where the hell was that odd man going?
When she finally reached the lobby, she waited in the corridor, hoping she hadn't missed him. If she didn't see him in a couple of minutes she'd probably just go back to her room and ask Erwin about it in the morning. After all, she thought, looking at what she had hidden in her left fist, I still have the ring. She quickly shoved it into the pocket of her jeans so she wouldn't lose the damn thing. How could such a small thing cause so much trouble?
After a few minutes she saw the strange man, clad all in black, giddily making his way out of the door. The idiot probably hadn't checked the box to see if it was empty. What an idiot. She waited a few beats before pursuing him, making sure to walk among the shadows at a safe difference to make sure he didn't see her.
He was walking awfully fast and, Petra thought after a while, awfully far. She'd never walked this far before. They were nearing the outskirts of Sina and were reaching the wall that separated the city with Rose, the neighboring city. There were rumors of strange incidents going on around the walls if Petra recalled correctly. People would go missing or show up with no recollection of how they got there. The fact that it was so damn dark wasn't helping her nerves either.
She squinted, trying to get her eyes to adjust to this level of darkness. What on earth would require this guy to sneak out to the wall with the stupid ring? He finally reached the wall – a dead end. Strangely enough he didn't seem too distraught, just walked along the wall until he reached a rather thin crack and, to her surprise, another figure emerged from among the shadows. Straining her eyes, she soon realized that it was the silhouette of Erwin Smith. He didn't seem pleased to see the strange man and Petra resisted the urge to stomp over there and demand to know what the hell was going on. She saw him exchange some harsh words with the man. It was then that the realized she'd never seen Erwin Smith angry. Annoyed, maybe, but even from this distance she could see that the tall blonde was someone to be reckoned with when he was in a temper. He looked just about ready to strangle the strange man right until the man triumphantly showed him the box she had handed over earlier. Erwin seemed to cool down considerably and he stopped talking.
The stranger put the box in the inside of his coat, reaching out to touch Erwin's arm, but Erwin only shoved him away and stalked over to the large crack in the wall by himself, the man following behind him hurriedly.
Petra narrowed her eyes. They couldn't possibly be thinking about going inside that ominous crack, could they? She was nearly convinced that she had blinked because the next thing she knew, Erwin and the man accompanying him had disappeared within the crack.
What on earth…She hesitantly walked up to the crack when she was sure that the two of them wouldn't return, fingering the ring her pocket nervously. She didn't have to follow him down there. She could have just gone home, called her friends and maybe the police. She could have just shoved everything into the back of her mind and slept it all off. Maybe the whole thing would turn out to be a weird dream. That's probably what any rational person would do. Still, there was something so creepy about how the two had disappeared into such a deep, ominous crack and Petra couldn't help but feel drawn to the eerie darkness.
It felt more like a dream more than real life, stepping towards that wall. When she reached the wall, she put her hand on the jagged opening in the cold stone barrier. Peering into the black, she couldn't see a thing. Nevertheless, she took a step into the wall and the last thing she remembered was that she was falling.
